"Your Majesty, I respect your wish to send Count Radetzky to his last journey, but I also still object to your use of carrying a coffin to do so!
Your body does not belong only to you, but to the entire Austrian Empire!"
After Bach was silent for a while, Franz Joseph continued to speak and replied.
Franz Joseph immediately smiled after receiving the result that Bach no longer objected. He understood the reason for Minister Bach's caution, so he did not expect to receive clear support from Minister Bach, as long as Minister Bach did not object to his actions.
"Minister Bach, thank you very much for your understanding!" Out of respect for the imperial minister, Franz Joseph expressed his gratitude to Bach, "I will do what I can!"
"If that's the case, that would be great!" Minister Bach bowed to Franz Joseph and said no more.
Seeing that Bach had chosen to obey the emperor's will, Archduke Albrecht and Benedek did not stop Franz Joseph's actions.
When Franz Joseph asked Albrecht and Benedek again about their attitudes, they also expressed to the emperor that they had the same views as Count Bach and did not agree, but they did not object either!
Franz Joseph, who successfully persuaded Albrecht and others, glanced at Richard Metternich with gratitude. Franz knew very well that if Richard Metternich hadn't "conquered" Bach's army,
, then it is impossible for this action to obtain Bach's acquiescence.
As long as Bach expressed his opposition clearly, Albrecht and others would naturally follow suit.
"Mr. Richard, Albrecht... let's get started!" Franz Joseph said to everyone present in a particularly friendly manner.
"As you command!"
Richard Metternich each came to the position arranged by Franz Joseph, and the soldiers who originally carried the coffin took a step back and gave up their positions to them.
Following Franz Joseph's order, the coffin was lifted up by six people.
In order to allow the emperor at the back end of the coffin to save some strength, Albrecht and Benedek at the front end of the coffin probably lowered their bodies so that the weight of the coffin could be concentrated on the front and middle parts.
After the officer who was originally leading the entire team of coffin bearers saw the coffin bearers for the old marshal changed from soldiers to governors and emperors, he didn't know for a while whether he should give orders as he had practiced before.
Benedek, who was standing at the front, saw the confused officer and immediately gave an order, "Soldier, your task now is to guide us to put the coffin of the old marshal onto the carriage!
Do you understand?"
After hearing Benedek's arrangement, the military official came to his senses. He quickly placed the tall military cap in his right hand at the level of his heart, put on a serious face, carried Albrecht and others on his back, and said, "Let's go!"
Immediately afterwards, the officer stepped off the train step by step with steady steps, and the people carrying the coffin on their shoulders followed the officer's footsteps and walked out of the train.
When the coffin carrying the old Marshal Radetzky and Albrecht and others appeared on the train platform, both the imperial ministers on the platform and the envoys from various countries were shocked by the scene before them.
They saw that Franz Joseph, the emperor of the empire, was also among the coffin-carrying team. The emperor personally carried the coffin of the deceased minister. What a glorious thing it was.
"Tsk tsk tsk... Count Radetzky, this life is worth it!
When my brother-in-law (Prince Schwarzenberg) died, the emperor did not personally carry his coffin!"
In the crowd, the former Governor of Bohemia and Prime Minister of the Principality of Lodomeria, Prince Windischgratz, said in a slightly jealous tone to the monarch of the Principality of Lodomeria, Carl Ludwig, beside him.
As the monarch of a country, Carl Ludwig heard the dissatisfaction with his current situation in Prince Windischgratz's words, as well as the sarcasm towards Prince Schwarzenberg.
After all, Prince Windischgrätz was a governor of Bohemia loyal to the Habsburgs in 1848, and he and Radetzky saved the Habsburgs from the brink of destruction.
As a result, after the Great Revolution, Prince Windischgratz was not only kicked out of the center of the Austrian Empire by his brother-in-law, but was also dismissed as the Governor of Bohemia.
Instead, Radetzki, who had been retired, was still appointed governor of Lombardy and Venice, a position he held until his death.
[In the normal historical line, Radetzky's governor-general only served until 1857 when he was replaced by Maximilian.
Maximilian of this plane has gone to the Kingdom of Poland to serve as the Grand Duke/King of Warsaw, and Karl Ludwig has also gone to the Principality of Lodomeria to serve as the Grand Duke!
The Habsburgs did not have a powerful enough grand duke to serve as governor of Lombardy and Venice, so Radetzky had been appointed concurrently.
Until Radetzky dies!】
Even fence-sitters like Josip Jelacic have been able to occupy the position of senior Croatian official.
And he, the noble Prince Windischgrätz, could only go to the Principality of Lodomeria to serve as the flashy Prime Minister.
(The Principality of Lodomeria is distinct from the independent Kingdom of Poland.
Their bureaucracy can be seamlessly connected with the bureaucracy of the Austrian Empire, and the army is also a reskinned Austrian Imperial Army.
Archduke Carl Ludwig was in a stage of ruling but not governing the Principality of Lodomeria.
The advantage of this is that the principal's taxes only need to satisfy the bureaucrats, and the principal's army will be funded by the Austrian Empire.
The downside is losing your independence!)
Such a sense of gap is really hard to accept!
"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I guarantee that a hundred years from now, you will also enjoy the same treatment as Count Radetzky!
The Reich will never forget the hero who saved him!" Carl Ludwig assured Windischgratz in a low voice.
Years of getting along with him have allowed Archduke Carl Ludwig to figure out the character of Prince Windischgratz. In the final analysis, he is just an old man who needs someone to coax him.
When Wendy Schretz heard what Karl Ludwig said, she immediately smiled and said modestly, "I don't care about this, I'm just happy for Radetzky!"
Karl Ludwig just smiled and said nothing.
At the other end of the crowd, when Archduke Sophie of Habsburg saw Franz Joseph carrying Count Radetzky's coffin, his face suddenly became particularly embarrassed, and he immediately asked him in a low tone
The bystanders said, "Who asked Franz to do this!"
Everyone around shook their heads and replied to Grand Duchess Sophie, "I don't know!"
After a while, Princess Sophie sighed to herself, "Oh! This child is really annoying!"
…
When the coffin reached the crowd, the crowd slowly parted, and a passage outside the same platform appeared. At the end of the road was an open carriage pulled by four horses. The carriage was all black, giving people a particularly heavy feeling.
.
There was a band distributed around the carriage. When the members of the band saw the coffin in the distance, they immediately changed their songs and the cheerful "Radetzky March" began to play.
Although the melody of the "Radetzky March" is incompatible with today's heavy funerals, there is nothing more suitable than it.
Because "Radetzky March" tells the life of Marshal Radetzky through music, from the beginning of the war (the war between the Kingdom of Sardinia and Austria) to the siege of the city (violent defeat of the Kingdom of Sardinia), to his triumphant return (winning the
victory).
Amidst the playing of "Radetzky March", Marshal Radetzky's coffin was placed on the carriage by Albrecht and others.
After placing the coffin safely, Franz Joseph rubbed his slightly sore shoulders. Queen Elisabeth, who was standing next to Franz Joseph, also thoughtfully helped Franz Joseph wipe the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief.
Later, Franz Joseph quietly asked Elizabeth if she would accompany him on horseback to the place where Count Radetzky's funeral was to be held.
After hearing Franz Joseph's suggestion, Elizabeth couldn't help but her eyes lit up. Then she thought of the emperor's mother, Grand Duchess Sophie, so she whispered to Franz Joseph, "Franz, shall we
You should follow the etiquette officer’s arrangements!”
"Don't worry! I will make it clear to my mother!" Franz Joseph replied to Elizabeth confidently.
Immediately afterwards, Franz Joseph and Elisabeth found the Grand Duchess Sophie.
"Mother, I want to ride with Sissi!" Franz Joseph said to Sophie.
"Why?"
Grand Duchess Sophie wanted to reprimand the disobedient Franz Joseph loudly, but due to the current environment, she could not do so.
"Riding is more conducive to shortening the distance between us and the people of Vienna!" Franz Joseph whispered to Grand Duke Sophie, "The reason why we held such a grand funeral for Count Radetzky was also to inspire more people.
Many people serve the Empire!"
After hearing Franz Joseph's explanation, Grand Duchess Sophie glanced at Princess Sissi again, and then responded lightly, "Franz, you are 30 years old! What to do, I think you have your own
Judgment!
As a mother, I cannot always make choices for you!
If you think this matter is beneficial to the rule of the empire, then feel free to do it boldly!"
Franz Joseph, who was recognized by Grand Duchess Sophie, looked happy, then took Elizabeth's hand and left.
Looking at the background of Franz Joseph and Elizabeth leaving, Grand Duchess Sophie sighed to herself.
Franz Joseph and Elisabeth, who left Grand Duchess Sophie, rode two white horses and walked with Albrecht and others in front of the carriage containing the coffin.
Viennese people on both sides of the road, after Count Radetzky's coffin, all raised their white flowers in their hands to bid the old marshal his last journey.
